Solitary Confinement for Prison Infractions
In this article, the subject of solitary confinement as a punishment for breaking prison laws and its moral effect is discussed and a decision taken whether it should be continued or not.
Background of Solitary Confinement
The country with the highest number of prisoners in the world is the United States of America with 's over 2 million people in various federal, state and locally owned incarceration facilities, a number which represents an almost 400% rise compared to the population in the 70's. numbers. The 2014 U.S. National Research Council report showed that in the year 2012, America was home to over 25% of the world's prisoners and 1% of Americans were in jail. A common prison tradition that has received a lot of attention and criticism lately is the segregation of specific inmates into separate cells in order to protect the other prisoners or to carry out further punishment. This tradition has been called by various names including "solitary confinement," "seclusion," or "restricted housing," and it is mostly characterized by keeping inmates in tiny, constricted cells for periods as long as years. (Solitary confinement in prisons: Key data and research findings). Various people and groups have stood up against this tradition, one of which is the "Stop Solitary" movement, which believes the treatment is inhumane and could have a deteriorating effect on the constantly growing number of the patients living with mental ailments in the U.S. correctional facilities. When the GAO report in 2013 had been compiled, over 7% of the 217,000 prisoners it houses were subjected to solitary confinement for an estimated 23 hours daily. There are various levels of confinement approved by the U.S. leadership; they include the Special Housing Units (SHU), Special Management Units (SMU) and Administrative Maximum (ADX). There has been a rise in solitary confinement across the country's facilities, the report being referenced reveals that during the period of 2008 to 2013, the number of prisoners subjected to solitary confinement rose by an estimated 17%.
Though a generally accepted description of solitary confinement doesn't exist despite it being referred to by names such as 'seclusion, 'separation, ', it could be simply described as the seclusion and confinement of a person to a constricted cell...
Solitary Confinement Effects on Prisoners There were two prison systems that were developed in the 1800s in the United States. These two prison systems were: the Auburn system and the Pennsylvania system. In the Auburn prison system the prisons had to do the labor together but they had to stay quiet, whereas, in the Pennsylvanian system the prisons had to face isolation from not only the society but also their fellow
History Of Penitentiaries With nearly 10% of its population incarcerated, it is important for Americans to understand the purpose and history of penitentiaries in this country. To this end, this paper reviews the relevant literature to provide a history of punishment, the history of prison development, and a comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn systems. Finally, an analysis of the impact and involvement of prison labor over time
Solitary Confinement Introduction As Clark (2017) points out, solitary confinement is typically a disciplinary, administrative or personal measure employed to punish, control or protect the individual who is isolated from others. However, the practice can have lasting and devastating effects on the psychology and health of individuals who thus confined—especially for juveniles. The reason for this damaging effect is that human beings are essentially social creatures and need sociality in order to
Solitary Nation Response: Why Does America Allow Solitary Confinement in Prison 1 The major issue addressed in the documentary Solitary Nation is the role that solitary confinement plays in the incarceration process. Violent inmates are often put in solitary confinement either for punishment or for their own protection. It was a practice that started in the 19th century but was largely abandoned because instead of reforming inmates it made them lose their minds.
Capital Punishment Solitary confinement represents one among the best means of keeping modern-day prisoners from communication and conflict, but has the most injurious effects on their health. Individuals imprisoned in conditions of solitary confinement demonstrate more psychotic behavior compared to normal prisoners; this includes higher rate of suicides (Thesis Statement). After a prisoner loses his/her mental capacity of understanding the reason for his/her imprisonment or punishment, subjecting him/her to solitary confinement
In fact, during the study, the guards became more sadistic when they thought no one was watching them. Zimbardo notes, "Their boredom had driven them to ever more pornographic and degrading abuse of the prisoners" (Zimbardo). This may be the same reason guards at Abu Ghraib tortured and humiliated their charges, and the study seems to indicate this could happen in just about any prison anywhere, if the guards
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